Osmotic control of prolactin release and its effect on renal water excretion in man

Prolactin appears to play a role in osmoregulation of fishes and birds and a possible contribution of this hormone to the regulation of salt and water excretion in mammals has been suggested as well. The present studies were undertaken to investigate the role of osmotic pressure on the secretion of prolactin and the effect of the hormone on renal water excretion in man. The i.v. administration of synthetic thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) (7 mug/kg) to five subjects undergoing a maximal sustained water diuresis increased serum prolactin to supraphysiologic levels in all as mean concentration rose from 30.2 +/- 2.9 to 60.2 +/- 5.0 ng/ml (P less than 0.005). This increase was not associated with either significant alterations in renal hemodynamics or sodium excretion and water excretion. The osmoregulation of prolactin release was then investigated by the oral administration of 20 ml/kg of water to seven subjects in 11 studies. While the water load decreased serum osmolality from 293 +/- 285 +/- 1.5 mOsm/kg H2O (P less than 0.001), there was no significant change in prolactin level, 28+/- 1.8 to 30 +/- 2.4 ng/ml. Serum hypertonicity was achieved in six subjects with the infusion of 5% NaCl which increased serum osmolality from 287 +/- 1.8 to 298 +/- 1.4 mOsm/kg (P less than 0.001). While the hypertonic state caused a marked antidiuresis as urinary osmolality rose from 62 +/- 5.9 to 480 +/- 48 mOsm/kg (P less than 0.001), the concentration of prolactin remained unchanged at 28 ng/ml. We conclude that supraphysiologic levels of prolactin have no antidiuretic properties in a vasopressin-free state and that acute alterations in serum tonicity within the range observed do not affect the release of prolactin in man.